forum: Food & Drink

Re: jamies nans christmas pud

Geoff, the last Sunday before Advent here is the Sunday when German Protestants here commemorate the dead. All Christmas activity used to be postponed until after that day. Today as most Christmas markets start that weekend already to get more business into one season they make them close for that one day and some of the lights are not lit until the day after. (Christmas market in Dortmund starts this Thursday, is closed this Sunday though. The lights on the big Christmas tree will be lit Monday)While most people now either don't know or don't care (because they don't go to church or so) many start earlier (some of my neighbors put up Christmas lights last week ) my mom for example is very strict about that. Then as soon as that Sunday was past we would dig out the Christmas and Advent things and decorate, bake etc. I suspect she still does it like that. I am less organized and usually discover Saturday that Sunday the the first Sunday of Advent....

Re: jamies nans christmas pud

We always put our tree up christmas eve as part of our family tradition but i know so many friends that start to get busy the end of november, i used to work in Harrods and by september we were forced to think about christmas ahead of Hallows eve and guy fawkes, wrong very wrong

Also our lovely local church holds christingle, its absolutley wonderful, the church every year is full, standing room only someyears, its for the little ones, we all sing the familiar christmas caroles and a reminder of why we celebrate christmas itself, but the service ends with every child going to the front of the church and recieving a christingle, An orange ( represents the world) with a red ribbon around it, (blood of christ) it also has four cocktail sticks (represents the four seasons) with fruit on and a candle that stands proud in its centre (the light of christ) all the lights go down in the church and all the children sing Away in a manger, i cry every year x

Re: jamies nans christmas pud

Re: jamies nans christmas pud

They start selling Christmas stuff in August. Sick, sick, sick....

I usually get a wreath and some decorations up for the first Sunday of Advent (usually doing the work on Saturday to enjoy on Sunday - but this year will be helping with preparations for the Bazaar at Church all Saturday morning/half afternoon, so might do it Friday or Monday after)

We buy the tree around the third advent and keep it on the balcony (if you wait longer the good ones are gone) then take it in the morning of Christmas Eve to decorate. Candles (electric) are lit after church on Christmas Eve. If we only go to the late service we light them after dinner (in Germany Christmas Eve is when we do church, dinner and presents, Christmas Day is when we drive to Grandparents etc. if we do).

Our favorite pastor is doing the early kids' service this year so I will have to see if we go early, take the other pastor in the evening one or yet another in the late one.... Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Thinking about these things is the only Christmas thing I do before Advent (and helping with planning for church).

Re: jamies nans christmas pud

It's the first year when both myself and my wife are retired. This means that I won't have to lead worship at Christmas, and she doesn't have to be back in school for the January Term.

So - we are off to our house in the South of France! I've already ordered a goose down there for Christmas Day, and will be ordering everything else we need next week (it's good to have friends locally).

It wil be a mixed Anglo-French Christmas - I've not decided the menu yet, but it will include Mixnight Mass ar l'Eglise Catholique, le Réveillon (midnight feast), an English Breakfast (Kidneys, Bacon and toast), Christmas morning at le Temple Protestant, then the Goose with roast potatoes, and all the (English) trimmings - (we have French friends joining us). We'll end up with with Christmas pudding (I'll be making it next Sunday).. (At that pont I suspect we shall collapse . In the evening, we'll be hosting an "Ex-Pats" high tea (I'll be taking a real Stand Pie down, and some pickles), Charcuterie will be courtesy Mdm Trinquard, who does superb Bedarieux hams ).

Should be a good do

The rest of the week, and up to the 6th Jan, will be a round of friends, family and restaurants - sometimes all together. Wine will feature prominently - especially the AOC Faugeres (our cellar down there is full). We'll be be brekingi into Rumtopf, which has been running all year. and sampling the recently revived Fines de Faugeres and the Vin Passerille.

Re: jamies nans christmas pud

On Jamie's Christmas DVD he says you don't need to make this one in advance. Last year we made it for the first time, on Christmas Eve, and everyone agreed that we should abandon the old family recipe which has been handed down from grandmother, and make Jamie's pud our family pud from now on.

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